Trying A Rooing Gel

dieselerFebruary 14, 2009

Well i like experimenting with things and i finally was able to purchse some clonex red rooting gel thats made for Hardwood cuttings. Most of the powders and gels are for green or semi hardwood this red stuff supposed to have higher concentrations of iba 8g/L. Its suppose to feed the cuttings thruout the process with hormones and all that good stuff that i have no idea about. I've read about this stuff and wanted to try it on some but not all ucdavis cuttings i hope to get in near future. Im going to use the baggie method on some and gel on some of the sticks and see what happens. I ordered the small 50ML of it and probably will experiment with other things around the landscape such as a special Elm tree i had bought some years back that fights the dutch elm disease or my tulip tree just for fun. I know i know there are other ways and fig sticks are easy to propagate but theres still that little kid in me that likes to experiment, good thing i dont have a lab or anything i would have probably turned green by now.

tell us how it goes we would always want to know of a better way to get our cutting to root faster. i should go great since i also heard so much about this product, being gel it should stick to the cutting allowing for great contact. and also the cutting will absorb better

Hi Martin, I know this thread is almost two years old...but can you tell me how Clonex worked for you? So many mixed reviews out there. I sure would love to hear some positive feed back first or how it worked for others...good or bad!
Thanks!

I don't think it's accurate to pitch a particular brand or type of rooting hormone because different plant species respond to different chemicals, whether we are cloning hardwood, summer wood, or herbaceous/tip cuttings. Even though it's generally true that the most effective concentration levels normally vary and can be roughly grouped by the 3 types of cuttings you mentioned, the most effective chemical to use also varies and can be much more important than concentration levels; so, it is a combination of the concentration AND the choice of chemical + type of cutting and time of year that actually determines the effectiveness of a rooting chemical or the best choice.

The rooting aids are synthesized forms of the plant hormone/growth regulator 'auxin'. Indole butyric acid (IBA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) are the two most common chemicals that have been found to be reliable in the promotion of rooting in cuttings. IBA is widely applied in general use because it is non-toxic to most plants over a wide range and promotes root growth in a large number of plant species.

Some plants respond better to either IBA or NAA, some respond to ONLY one or the other, some may have a toxic reaction to one but not the other which will lead to poor or no growth and actually, mortality; and some respond best to combinations of both chemicals, or to other variations of either IBA or NAA based on K (potassium). Both IBA and NAA are commonly available in talc or in liquid formulations of varying concentrations.

I do lots of propagating of several hard-to-root species, but only use a rooting aid occasionally for the most difficult. As a generalization, you should know on a per plant basis which chemical and concentration is most apt to be effective before applying it. I have found it mostly unnecessary. Learning a little about the cultural conditions cuttings prefer and some other tricks (like methods of wounding) along with cleanliness will add more to what it takes to be successful at propagating (plants) than rooting aids (except in the very hard to root plants).

What is a rooting hormone, exactly? Does the fig tree produce anything like a rooting hormone from its roots? Several people have said they stick a green twig into the ground under the fig tree and it will root just fine. Would that work for cuttings from dormant trees if it's done in the spring?

Could we make something from the roots of the fig trees and use that in rooting cuttings in pots?

This is probably all dumb, but I just thought I'd ask. I know the tiny cutting I got off the Hunt tree was originally stuck into the pot with the tree it came from and it was real perky and it was stuck in amongst the roots.

Thank you Al...I don't even grow Figs,lol...but I was doing some research for "Clonex" and came upon this thread. I was trying to find the best rooting hormone for Hoyas...but maybe I don't even need any (although I have some rootone from a few years ago I bought at Lowe's)...Thanks again Al, much appreciated!

Viv - rooting hormone is a synthetic form of the growth regulator/hormone 'auxin'. Auxin is produced primarily in apical meristems (the growing tips of branches) and leaves. It moves from the top of the plant to the roots. It makes branches want to grow long/tall (apical dominance), and does this on its downward journey by suppressing growth of axillary buds (buds in leaf crotches). Another growth regulator/hormone called 'cytokinin' (kite'-oh-kye-nin) maintains something of an adversarial relationship with auxin in plants. Cytokinin promotes cell division and 'wants' to activate axillary buds, but can't because auxin keeps it in check. When you prune, and remove the apical meristems and leaves, the auxin flow is diminished and cytokinin becomes dominant, stimulating axillary buds to grow. Soon, the new branches formed from these activated buds are producing auxin in their new apical meristems, and the auxin:cytokinin ratio moves back into balance again until something upsets it - like pruning.

As auxin moves down into the roots, it does the opposite of what it does at the top. It doesn't suppress branching of roots, it stimulates it by breaking the apical dominance of roots. High concentrations of auxin, such as when we apply rooting hormones, can enhance the formation of adventitious roots. Synthetic forms of auxin are also useful in fighting basal sprouts and suckering. Applications of products like RTU Sucker Stopper to the basal portion of the tree and to areas where basal sprouts/suckers were recently removed can eliminate unwanted basal growth for up to 2 years.